CHAPTER 10: KEEPING UNKNOWN

Another year has passed, and I turned 9. We got a letter from Father that says he can't go home yet because he has something to do in the capital that can take 3–4 months.

That also means that I need to wait 3–4 months just to be able to continue my studies in magic. I feel down after hearing what's in the letter, but I need to act like it's not a big deal because Aunt Lyshia and Chris will visit today, so I make up my mind that I shouldn't think about it for today. But for some reason, lunch has already passed and they're not coming.

"Maybe something just came up, and they're busy." "Maybe tomorrow they will come," said my mother.

"Yeah," I replied, even though inside I felt like there was something wrong.

The next day has come, but there's no sign of them visiting, which is why we decided to go to their house tomorrow.

Tomorrow has come, and I'm now walking with my mother, and our destination is Chris' house. We're worried about what might happen to them; that's why we decided to depart earlier than we had planned.

We reach their house, and my mother starts knocking. For a while, no one came, but we heard the sound of someone running, and the door opened. The one who greets us is Chris, with a surprised face as if saying, "Why are you here?" She placed her arms behind her in a hurry and smiled. She thinks that I didn't notice the bruises on her arms, but I saw them, and my mother maybe saw them too.

I was about to ask her why she had those bruises. But Aunt Lyshia comes—

"Chris, what's taking you so long?" asked Aunt Lyshia before she saw us at their door, and she got surprised too.

"W-what's the sudden visit for?" She asked with an awkward smile.

"We're just worried because you didn't visit the other day or yesterday," my mother said.

"Ah, sorry about that, we're just busy with something that we don't have the time to visit," she replied.

"No, it's okay." "We're just worried that something bad happened that caused you to not visit, but if you're fine then it's all right," said my mother.

"Oh, has Philip returned now?" "William sent us a letter saying he has something to do in the capital that will take 3–4 months," my mother asked.

"We'll try to visit next week," Aunt Lyshia replied as if trying to avoid the question.

"Ok, then, see you next week," she said before closing the door before us.

It didn't miss my vision either; Aunt Lyshia has bruises too, and she didn't try to hide them like Chris, but they can still be overlooked if you just focus on the conversation.

After that, me and my mother go home while hoping that everything is alright as they said and that they will visit next week.

When we got home, I went straight to my room and started to think about what had happened earlier. I noticed three unusual things: first, their bruises. I don't know where they got them, but it's clearly done by someone and not an accident because there are too many for it to be an accident. Second, every time we come over to their house, the first thing they do is let us in, but earlier, it's as if they don't want us in at all and just talk to us at the front door. Lastly, on the question of my mother about Uncle Philip, why did Aunt Lyshia avoid that question? I must figure it out so I can help them with their problem.

A week has passed and I still haven't figured it out, and the day that they say they will visit has come. My mother and I have waited for them since morning, and now it's lunchtime, and they're still not here. I stood up from my seat and decided to go to their house again, but was suddenly stopped by my mother.

"Where are you going?" She asked about the personality of the sword saint.

"It's obvious, to Chris' house," I answered with a bit of a tone because she looks like she doesn't care what is happening.

"You must not go," she said.

"Why?"          I asked angrily. "Do you not care about them?" I asked her.

"They didn't tell us their problem because they don't want us to be involved; what do you think will happen if you go there?" She answered.

"Even if you go there, they will only find it a nuisance." "You know nothing about the situation because they don't want you involved, and you're trying to help; isn't that just pure selfishness?" she added.

"Even so, I just can't overlook it," I said before I walked straight to the door.

"I won't give you any help; this is your selfishness, so no matter what happens to you, you will not receive my help." "Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I know it," I replied before going outside and heading straight to Chris' house.